10 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale

1. Collect items all year long.

Get into the habit of regularly putting things away in a “garage sale” box throughout the year. If you come home from the store with something new, find something old to put out for sale. This will keep your house from looking like it should be on an episode of Hoarders. :) Plus, you’ll stock your sale with all sorts of great stuff, which turns into “free” money! A week or so before your sale, go through all your closets and cupboards one more time. Be honest-have you used it lately? If not, sell it. Exception: If it’s broken, missing pieces, or stained, just throw it away. No one wants your trash!

2. Prepare thoroughly.

Choose a weekend that’s not a holiday and the weather is nice. Most sales are usually in the spring. A Saturday sale is usually best. As a shopper, I’ll skip garage sales that are Friday/Saturday because by Saturday morning when I’m out all the good stuff is already gone. Besides, who wants to do all that work twice?!?

If you can, clean out your garage and set up tables a few days before the sale. Borrow tables so you can have everything organized and off the ground. If you have a hanging rack or can rig something up, use it for nicer items like dresses, coats and suits. Things that are displayed will sell! Post an advertisement for your sale on Craigslist and Garage Sale Finder. Don’t bother with a paid ad-they will eat into your profits and most people don’t read them. Buy plenty of poster board for good signs and you’ll be fine. Lastly, have at least $25 in small bills and quarters for making change.

4. Hang signs everywhere.

Purchase neon colored poster board (all the same color) and cut it into fourths. You only need one or two words per sign and an arrow. No one can read a list of things for sale or your full address while driving by at 40 mph! I will usually go in together with a couple other people so we can advertise HUGE SALE on our signs. Just place a sign at every possible intersection and make it obvious where drivers need to turn.

5. Start early.

I know, this is the worst part. But you have to be set up and ready to go by 7 am if you want to sell your stuff-especially furniture. Professional shoppers are out early filling up their trucks with large items. But, if you have all your treasures on tables and ready to go, all you have to do is pull your tables out of the garage and wait for the hoards to arrive en masse. :)

6. Have a “checkout” station.

If you are working out of a garage, keep your table set up at the top of the driveway at the entrance to your garage. If you are outside in the open, set up a canopy or something to make it obvious where people need to go to pay. Be sure to have a money-box or something secure for your cash. Also, it’s nice to have a collection of bags for people to carry all their loot. :)

8. Sell goodies at checkout.

People are always hungry when they are out shopping garage sales. If you have a box of donuts on the checkout table, they will sell! The same goes for cans of soda on a hot day. Just don’t spend too much money buying the snacks. If you don’t want to be stuck with it when the sale is done, then don’t buy it. Have your kids run the snack table-it’s a great way to practice working with money, making change, and learning to interact with “customers.” These cowboy cookies taste great and the recipe makes a HUGE batch, so you wouldn’t need to double it.

For the rest of my tips, including the ever important PRICING guidelines, check out my blog post link below! Good luck!